If Europe wants to get rid of pressure from Russia, we need to finish the war in Ukraine in a fair way - Mikhail Podolyak in an interview with Eldiario

“If Europe wants to get rid of all kinds of blackmail and pressure from Russia - it is not only a war in Ukraine, it is also a migration crisis, energy, economic, financial and political crisis - we have to end this war in a fair way. We should not allow Russia to realize these crises. If Europe today does not complete the war with Ukraine properly, it will continue to have the same problems, but larger, because Russia will believe that it has won Europe, ”Mikhail Podolyak said.

“I seem to the right position of European leaders, including Borrel. They understand all the consequences of the wrong end of the war. And they understand that there are no roads back, ”he added. Mikhail Podolyak emphasized that, unlike young democracies, such as Hungary, established European democracies realize that the war should end properly-Ukraine must win. The adviser to the head of the Presidential Office emphasized that, despite rhetoric, Russia does not really seek negotiations.

To begin with the real negotiation process, it is necessary for the Russian Federation to return to compliance with international law and leave Ukrainian territories. "Russia puts an ultimatum: we have entered your territory, we kill your people and want you to give us part of our territory, our sovereignty. It is impossible to negotiate when an army of another country is in our territory. Because it would be a temporary solution.

Then Russia would work on mistakes and would continue to fight Ukraine. For our country, this is the second stage of the war after 2014. If there are recognized borders, no one can go and take something away. For this reason, negotiations can begin when we all return to international law. There are borders, Russians leave our territory and sit at the negotiation table. Otherwise, it is impossible, ”Mikhail Podolyak emphasized.

In his opinion, the end of the war depends on two factors: giving Ukraine the necessary weapons and the readiness of European countries to defeat Russia. “A mathematically tested number of certain types of weapons, including weapons, armored vehicles and RSSLs. These are small volumes, but this is exactly what we need. And what is not yet understood in Europe: the political elite and society of European countries should believe in one simple thing that Russia can lose.